Well, yes, but also this is a two way street. US history can inspire fascists in Nazi Germany, just as Nazi history can inspire modern day fascists in the US.
You're right, but people here have so thoroughly whitewashed their history that they don't acknowledge all of those awful things (or they at least downplay them).
There was a day and age when "Nazi" was understood by everyone to be a bad thing. Comparing someone to a Nazi was an obvious criticism, and one that people couldn't portray in a positive light.
Again, you're correct, but there's a reason we don't compare things to our own history. Too many people don't realize who the monsters were in those stories.
I didn't like the whole Godwin thought terminating cliche (that ended up turning Nazi comparisons into thought terminating cliches) back when I first saw it but in hindsight it's particularly stupid and arrogant, like that thing that did significant damage to the world was just a once-off fluke and anyone who compares anything else to it just loses for assuming something like that could ever happen again.
Though part of me is already sure that it was pushed by people who already wanted a new Nazi wave. But I do wonder why it was that their bandwagon was jumped on rather than a bandwagon of telling them to stfu and that "any comparison to nazis is invalid" was never logical in the first place.
I think it's a valid point being made though. So much of the "Not my America" sorts of responses treat Trump as a unique problem, and absolves the reality that the US has been an innovator for fascist tactics for most of it's existence.
12 Comments
lectricleopard@lemmy.world · 50 pts · 76d
Yeah, the Nazis got ideas from the US about how to treat minorities, not the other way around.
NewDark@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 76d
Well, yes, but also this is a two way street. US history can inspire fascists in Nazi Germany, just as Nazi history can inspire modern day fascists in the US.
K1nsey6@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 76d
Its come full circle
owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca · 26 pts · 76d
You're right, but people here have so thoroughly whitewashed their history that they don't acknowledge all of those awful things (or they at least downplay them).
There was a day and age when "Nazi" was understood by everyone to be a bad thing. Comparing someone to a Nazi was an obvious criticism, and one that people couldn't portray in a positive light.
Again, you're correct, but there's a reason we don't compare things to our own history. Too many people don't realize who the monsters were in those stories.
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 76d
I didn't like the whole Godwin thought terminating cliche (that ended up turning Nazi comparisons into thought terminating cliches) back when I first saw it but in hindsight it's particularly stupid and arrogant, like that thing that did significant damage to the world was just a once-off fluke and anyone who compares anything else to it just loses for assuming something like that could ever happen again.
Though part of me is already sure that it was pushed by people who already wanted a new Nazi wave. But I do wonder why it was that their bandwagon was jumped on rather than a bandwagon of telling them to stfu and that "any comparison to nazis is invalid" was never logical in the first place.
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 76d
The US is a great example of crimes against humanity, but calling them the blueprint is ignoring a fair bit of world history.
glimse@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 74d
No one was evil before 1776!
Randelung@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 76d
Also, they're the SA, not the GeStaPo.
AshMan85@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 76d
Except magats HATE being called nazis, so call them nazi/gestapo
Etterra@discuss.online · 3 pts · 75d
Quibbling over technicalities in this situation is a distraction we don't need.
chortle_tortle@mander.xyz · 6 pts · 74d
I think it's a valid point being made though. So much of the "Not my America" sorts of responses treat Trump as a unique problem, and absolves the reality that the US has been an innovator for fascist tactics for most of it's existence.
Paragone@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 74d
ICE is the US's IDF-in-Gaza, but in the Democrat States:
https://youtu.be/qhZBVLQK9MU
Netanyahu's "Israel" is integrating with the US's military, right??
ICE's nazi-style crematoriums are pertinent, then.. https://youtu.be/aBMJOAUMb5U
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